Former Director of Fort Ligonier Martin West tells the dramatic story of the forced repatriation of Ohio Country Native American prisoners and adoptees at the end of Pontiac's War. West's expansive new edition of the Rev. William Smith's original 1765 book
Bouquet's Expedition Against the Ohio Indians in 1764 is the most prominent Native American captivity narrative of the eighteenth century.
The lecture will take place at 4:00 p.m. at the Gallery at Hatcher Graduate Library. Register for the event here.
Upcoming Events
Toledo Field Trip
Tuesday, June 19
Join Clements Library staff as we explore the Toledo Museum of Art with a curator-led tour of the exhibit Before Audubon: Alexander Wilson's Birds of the United States, featuring 30 prints from the Clements collection.
Lunch will be served in the beautiful Peristyle Lobby. We will conclude our trip with a visit to the Wildwood Manor House and Ellen Shipman Garden.
$90 includes bus transportation, entry fees and lunch. Find more information and register here.
Welcome New Fellows
We have granted fellowships to fifteen researchers from around the world to pursue their research in early American history using our rich array of primary resources. Funding for fellowships has been provided by generous donations. Please welcome:
Jacob M. Price Fellowship Recipients
Christopher Blakley, Rutgers University
Dr. Benjamin Carp, Brooklyn College CUNY
Dr. Norah Gharala, Georgian Court University
Nate Holly, College of William & Mary
Alexey Krichtal, Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Tessa Murphy, Syracuse University
John Nelson, University of Notre Dame
Dr. Matthew Stallard, University of Manchester
Catherine Treesh, Yale University
Hannah Tucker, University of Virginia
Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship Recipients
Dr. Todd Carmody, Norton Strange Townshend Fellow, Rutgers University
Dr. Matthew Dougherty, Norton Strange Townshend Fellow, Ryerson University
Dr. John J. Garcia, Reese Fellow in the Print Culture of the Americas, California State University, Northridge
Dr. Timothy Williams, Earhart Fellow, University of Oregon
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in American History Fellowship Recipient
Andrew Maginn, Howard University
More information about how to apply for a 2019 fellowship can be found
here.
New Acquisition
Abraham Lincoln and the Chicken Bone Case
Last month Robert Heltzel presented a document related to the "Chicken Bone Case" signed by Abraham Lincoln to Curator of Manuscripts Cheney Schopieray. Heltzel made the gift in honor of Michael Hardy (JD '72), Donald Dawson, Jr. (JD '72) and Joseph Lonardo (JD '72).
The document details the 1857 Illinois court case in which Abraham Lincoln, then a practicing lawyer, used chicken bones to demonstrate the difference between young and old bones. Scholars would later cite this case as
an outstanding example of Lincoln's great communicative skills.
We are always so grateful for donors like Robert Heltzel, whose gifts make the Clements Library such an incredible resource for the study of early American history. Learn how to support acquisitions or donate your own collection here.
The chicken bone case manuscript
Michael Hardy, Robert Heltzel and Donald Dawson, Jr. visit the Clements Library
The Clements Library acquired one letter book of John Ligonier, dating from 1758 to 1760, as a gift from the Clements Library Associates (CLA) in 1968. Project archivist Philip Heslip wrote a descriptive finding aid for it in 2010, thanks to funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the "We the People" project. The Library continually adds to its manuscripts holdings and sometimes, good fortune allows them to bring formerly separated materials back together again. In 2016, Lord Ligonier's second letter book, 1760-1761, from the Torridon House of the Earls of Lovelace, came up for sale in Scotland. Read more
here.
Clements Exhibits
Open on Fridays from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Register for a Behind-the-Scenes Tour at 11:00 a.m. on
May 11,
June 8 or
June 22
This exhibit continues through May 18. From White Kennett, the first great collector of Americana, to Hubert Howe Bancroft, who broke new ground in concentrating on the American West, this exhibit tells the stories of sixteen noteworthy specialists who created and nurtured the Americana field from the late seventeenth through the nineteenth centuries.
The companion book is available for purchase
here.
The D. N. Diedrich Collection of Manuscript Americana, 17th - 20th Century
May 25 - October 26, 2018
This exhibit explores the breadth and depth of the D. N. Diedrich Collection, which primarily contains handwritten Americana from the 17th - 20th century. The collection's wide-ranging but deeply intertwined subject matter includes original, authentic, and historical manuscripts in the categories of religion, education, speech, government, literature, music, philanthropy, and the World Wars.
Register for a tour to learn more about the Clements and the current exhibit
here.
Library Closure
The Clements Library will be closed to researchers and visitors on Monday, May 28, 2018, in observance of Memorial Day.
